A New Wrinkle

Finally landed a transfer I wanted in a nice area with nice scenery but fairly affordable. Signed offer letter and returned it last week. Thursday morning my senior and an ops mgr pulled me aside and said that there's a hiring freeze and they can't let me go. Haven't heard from hiring station yet. We have another courier going back to where he's from as a swing and is being allowed to. Was told no lateral transfers for regular couriers but you can transfer as a mgr or a swing since it's an upgrade. Anyone hear about this? Either they are screwing me directly or this is part of the upcoming restructuring. If so then since they're looking to go with part-timers as much as possible then it's probable the ability to transfer somewhere as a regular FT courier is gone. My senior couldn't give me a date as to when the freeze would be over. I left a message for hiring station senior and asked my senior for something in writing signed off by him and HR denying the transfer. There are about 5 FT regular courier openings in this weeks JCATS plus double that part-time. These must be openings they have no choice but to fill for now assuming everything is legit about the freeze.

If it was posted in JCATS then there should be no way to deny you the transfer. I've heard of situations where the employee was held on to as long as possible but always released to go. Fight this one !!!

If it was posted in JCATS then there should be no way to deny you the transfer. I've heard of situations where the employee was held on to as long as possible but always released to go. Fight this one !!!

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I suspect it's about our station having several people out on injury. If HR backs them up I think I'll apply for a swing to see if I can get out that way. I've been here about two years too long.

Even if there were a hiring freeze in your district, that WOULDN'T affect your eligibility to LEAVE for a posted JCATS position to another district (internal hire). There is no Express wide hiring freeze right now. A district level hiring freeze would only affect the ability of your station senior manager to post an opening on JCATS for vacant positions. When a hiring freeze is in effect - district level - they WANT people to transfer out, it solves the issue of overstaffing for them.

If you signed an offer letter for a position, your station can only hold you for 30 days - that is it.

So I'm going to call Bull on your station manager, and I'd recommend you start making all sorts of noises to your district level manager. Your manager is trying to pull a fast one again.

I hope you made a photo copy of the offer letter that was sent to you. If you didn't - and that offer letter mysteriously disappears, you're screwed.

Again, district level hiring freezes affect the ability to fill open positions within that district ONLY. Hiring freezes have NO AFFECT on the ability of employees to accept JCATS openings from other districts and transfer. The only thing your station manager can do, is hold you 30 days - beyond that, they are acting outside the parameters of PEOPLE and need to be called on it. Your signing that offer letter makes YOU liable for not showing up at the station with the opening (just as happened to you last time).

Even if there were a hiring freeze in your district, that WOULDN'T affect your eligibility to LEAVE for a posted JCATS position to another district (internal hire). There is no Express wide hiring freeze right now. A district level hiring freeze would only affect the ability of your station senior manager to post an opening on JCATS for vacant positions. When a hiring freeze is in effect - district level - they WANT people to transfer out, it solves the issue of overstaffing for them.

If you signed an offer letter for a position, your station can only hold you for 30 days - that is it.

So I'm going to call Bull on your station manager, and I'd recommend you start making all sorts of noises to your district level manager. Your manager is trying to pull a fast one again.

I hope you made a photo copy of the offer letter that was sent to you. If you didn't - and that offer letter mysteriously disappears, you're screwed.

Again, district level hiring freezes affect the ability to fill open positions within that district ONLY. Hiring freezes have NO AFFECT on the ability of employees to accept JCATS openings from other districts and transfer. The only thing your station manager can do, is hold you 30 days - beyond that, they are acting outside the parameters of PEOPLE and need to be called on it. Your signing that offer letter makes YOU liable for not showing up at the station with the opening (just as happened to you last time).

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Yes, made several copies. I'm assuming my senior is trying to keep me due to being shorthanded. He did get an odd look on his face when I asked for it in writing. I'm going to get the hiring station involved and GFT it if that goes nowhere. As I said in voicemail msg to hiring senior I have a signed offer letter telling me to report July 15th. I said I want to be there, and wanted to be sure they were aware of the situation before I'm deemed a no call, no show. Left my current station number plus ops and senior mgr's names. I will follow up Monday, and most likely not bother with HR before filing GFT. She was no help last year. Speaking of which was told last year didn't matter that hiring mgr didn't send my mgr copy of signed offer letter which policy states is required. All that mattered was I signed it. Senior said Thursday that they hadn't received copy so technically job wasn't mine yet anyways. Funny how that works making it up as you go.

A week after I signed my offer letter the senior at my location also said there was a hiring freeze, and that I was lucky to get the position I did because that means that it was a high need position. Whether thats true or not I really dont care, so long as I am on my way (which I am). Look forward to hearing more on this and hope it all works out for you Van.

There is a hiring freeze....just because they post a job in jcats don't mean they must hire off of the post ...but you did sign a offer letter never have heard of them taking back a job from someone who signed one ....have heard of people sign one then back out at last and was able to stay at station they were at ...............Good luck

There is a hiring freeze....just because they post a job in jcats don't mean they must hire off of the post ...but you did sign a offer letter never have heard of them taking back a job from someone who signed one ....have heard of people sign one then back out at last and was able to stay at station they were at ...............Good luck

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In 15 years here I have seen all of the above. I've seen people back out of offer letters because the hiring managers played "used car salesman" and totally misrepresented the route. I've seen people, receive, sign, return offer letters, start new routes and then have the company back out because of some obscure legal reason (person being displaced and getting their spot back via attorney). I was held for 90 days in an old position in order to have time to hire new personnel and me train them. For FedEx "at will employment" means that they have the power and the means to make employees do anything "at will".

Also, and real convenient here, I applied for one of those 4x10 floater routes and then they decided to give it to a swing already at the station, thus leaving them with no swing drivers. I wish I could change my mind mid-stream and not have to justify it to anyone...call it a whim.

Yes, made several copies. I'm assuming my senior is trying to keep me due to being shorthanded. He did get an odd look on his face when I asked for it in writing. I'm going to get the hiring station involved and GFT it if that goes nowhere. As I said in voicemail msg to hiring senior I have a signed offer letter telling me to report July 15th. I said I want to be there, and wanted to be sure they were aware of the situation before I'm deemed a no call, no show. Left my current station number plus ops and senior mgr's names. I will follow up Monday, and most likely not bother with HR before filing GFT. She was no help last year. Speaking of which was told last year didn't matter that hiring mgr didn't send my mgr copy of signed offer letter which policy states is required. All that mattered was I signed it. Senior said Thursday that they hadn't received copy so technically job wasn't mine yet anyways. Funny how that works making it up as you go.

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Cover your bases and call HR. Get everything from everyone in writing. EVERYTHING.

The release date for employees is determined by mutual agreement of the immediate and hiringmanagers. This release must be granted within 30 days of the date of offer. During peak season(November and December), this release must be granted within 60 days in those operations whichare significantly impacted by volume increases. -- The People Manual, 4-5, p. 220

The release date for employees is determined by mutual agreement of the immediate and hiringmanagers. Release must be granted within 30 days of the date of offer.-- The People Manual, 4-10, p. 224

That seems as though a start date isn't given to you without your current manager's approval/input. Get clarification from HR, but play it coy. All you need to know is if you can report to your new location on the date specified (having all paperwork in order, which you do) even if your current manager is telling you otherwise. Make every effort to CYA from every angle.

A week after I signed my offer letter the senior at my location also said there was a hiring freeze, and that I was lucky to get the position I did because that means that it was a high need position. Whether thats true or not I really dont care, so long as I am on my way (which I am). Look forward to hearing more on this and hope it all works out for you Van.

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Sorry, missed this earlier, thanks. Talked to hiring station senior today. Told me that there is a hiring freeze and my position got "pulled" as he put it. I did point out I had a signed offer letter and he said he'd call HR. Said definitely needed the help and he would call me later this week. Hopefully it'll work out but if they're saying no lateral transfers they probably won't make an exception for me. And I bet this is the future we're looking at, only swing transfers will be allowed(the courier at my station transferring as a swing was told it was approved today).

Did anyone see all those jobs in jcats a few weeks ago for a station in san francisco like 18 jobs some pt some ft I think it was 6 ft swing jobs and 12 pt ...nuts our station had a ft job but there not going to hire off post ..telling all that put in for it there a freeze and they can't hire anyone at thisn time ...hang in there everyone

...Told me that there is a hiring freeze and my position got "pulled" as he put it. ... Hopefully it'll work out but if they're saying no lateral transfers they probably won't make an exception for me. ... only swing transfers will be allowed(the courier at my station transferring as a swing was told it was approved today).

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A hiring freeze is different from a freeze on transfers.

Given the fact that they are allowing a Swing Courier to transfer, but not a garden variety Courier - means there isn't a hiring freeze, there isn't a freeze on transfers (since one job code can transfer)- something else is going on.

I never heard of a situation when one job code could transfer, but not other job codes. Just never heard of it.

There can be a company wide hiring freeze. There can be district wide hiring freezes (localized overstaffing). There can be what amounts to a denial to station management to fill vacancies, due to company goals to reduce overall staffing levels (making the process of approving filling a vacancy so cumbersome, that station management won't bother submitting the paperwork).

For the position to have been posted in JCATS, the managing director of the district would've had to sign off on allowing the posting (by giving permission to the senior to fill vacancies). By your getting a valid offer letter and accepting in the time period specified, you are entitled to that position. I believe GFT covers this, and you'd have a slam dunk situation.

What this smells of, is a back door attempt to freeze just Couriers, preventing them from leaving their current station. Can anyone say, "company induced attrition"?

Find out if DG agents, or if CSAs can transfer. If Express is only allowing transfers of Swing Couriers, then something really is up - especially for them to try to renege on an offer letter. "Freezes" apply to ALL job codes if they are in fact in effect. When certain job codes are prevented from being hired (or transferred) and OTHER job codes aren't being affected - something is up.

Sorry, missed this earlier, thanks. Talked to hiring station senior today. Told me that there is a hiring freeze and my position got "pulled" as he put it. I did point out I had a signed offer letter and he said he'd call HR. Said definitely needed the help and he would call me later this week. Hopefully it'll work out but if they're saying no lateral transfers they probably won't make an exception for me. And I bet this is the future we're looking at, only swing transfers will be allowed(the courier at my station transferring as a swing was told it was approved today).

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This just happened at our station too. A new swing started about a week ago and we have another employee that is trying to transfer out and was denied. I asked the question and yes there is a freeze right now. Everything that was in JCATS was taken out and they have to re-post with approval and it will go all the way up to Mat Thornton III. There are several stations in my district that are short managers and they will not be replaced as of yet.

I haven't heard of any company wide hiring freeze. There is just too much hiring going on outside of Texas for a company wide hiring freeze.

The only other thing I can think of, is that there is a SHORTAGE of Couriers within Texas as a whole, and they don't want Couriers transferring OUT of the Texas area, till the stations get up to staffing. I have no way to confirm this, but...

Since there is a preponderance of posters here out of Texas, what hiring is going on within the Texas stations right now?

I'm thinking what Vantexan is caught in, is a "transfer freeze" - as in no transfers out of Texas.

The posting by FLACO190 keeps with the info I've been given, the hiring spigot has been opened up, and they are bringing in (and training) new part-time Couriers.